HIS STOLEN BRIDE – Barbara Dunlop
A Perfect 10
Chicago Sons , Book 4
Harlequin Desire #2459
ISBN: 978-0-373-73472-6
July 2016
Contemporary Series Romance

Chicago, Illinois – Present Day

Wealthy private investigator Jackson Rush has been summoned by his imprisoned father to the prison where he resides. Turns out his father and a prison friend want him to stop a wedding – that of the friend's daughter. Their story is that the daughter is being married for some diamond mine stock she doesn't know she owns. Against his better judgement, Jackson checks out the bride just before she is to march down the aisle. Something about her makes Jackson grab her and whisk her away.

Crista Corday has been kidnapped by a man who thinks marrying Vern Gerhard is a mistake. He won't tell her why, just that he's trying to protect her. Crista learns that he is a private investigator named Jackson Rush and he's sexy and handsome, not that she cares since she's supposed to be marrying Vern . . .

Jackson takes Crista on the run, with Vern and his cohorts hot on their trail. Along the way, he's trying to convince her that Vern is marrying her for all the wrong reasons, yet he can't tell her the truth because she'd think it was a scam cooked up by her father. As Crista and Jackson spend time alone, the attraction heats up between them. Will Jackson be able to protect Crista, and will they give into the sizzling passion?

HIS STOLEN BRIDE by Barbara Dunlop is filled with plenty of action to keep readers glued to the pages, plus plenty of steamy scenes to call for a cool glass of water to cool off with. Jackson is estranged from his father and normally wouldn't have come to the prison to see him, but his father has been persistent in wanting to speak with him. He's skeptical at first about the diamond mine story and could've walked away from Crista that day he spotted her standing outside the church, just as she was about to walk down the aisle. Something inside him urged him to take her away, and it's a good thing he did, because Vern turns out to be persistent, even attempting to flush out Jackson and Crista by setting their hotel on fire.

Crista is angry by Jackson's kidnapping of her, and at first she tries to get away from him. But it turns out Vern has been cheating on her, and Jackson tries to convince her that her groom-to-be is a cad. It's hard at first, but as the attraction intensifies between him and Crista, things get a lot easier. She doesn't trust Jackson and when she learns that she owns shares in a diamond mine that are worth millions, she still doesn't believe him. Like her no-good father, she suspects Jackson is a con man who's trying to get the goods (her and her stock) all for himself. How can Jackson convince her that he's a good guy when he can't resist kissing her? Will Jackson end up facing kidnapping charges, or will Crista finally see that he's the man for her?

There's plenty of banter back and forth between Jackson and Crista that adds to the action in HIS STOLEN BRIDE. It's an enjoyable and intriguing tale that is one I highly recommend you put at the top of your reading list. HIS STOLEN BRIDE was so much fun to read that I had to even award it one of Romance Reviews Today's rare Perfect 10s. You'll enjoy the premise, the characters, and the fact there's plenty of action to keep things intriguing. Grab this gem, because you won't be sorry

Patti Fischer